Be My Valentine
by Flagg1991
Summary: Days before Valentine's Day, Lincoln Loud begins receiving cards from a secret admirer. Soon, they are appearing on his pillow and under his bedroom door, leading him to believe that the sender may be one of his sisters...
1. MS Found in a Mailbox

Lincoln Loud loved the convenience of online shopping: With a few clicks, you could find literally _anything_ you wanted, and you didn't even have to put on pants to do it. Whenever he got a sizeable chunk of money (more than ten dollars), he would put a portion of it into his account at the First Bank of Royal Woods and then blow it on the internet. Money wasn't exactly easy to come by as an eleven-year-old boy with no job and a gigantic family, so it was really only after his birthday and Christmas that he was able to do this.

What Lincoln Loud _hated_ about online shopping was the long, anxious wait for his purchases to arrive. When you go to the store and see something you like and you buy it, you walk out with it. With internet shopping, you have to sit on your hands for weeks sometimes, the anticipation building and building until you can't stand it anymore. He remembered an episode of _Spongebob Squarepants_ where Spongebob was waiting for something to arrive in the mail and grew so impatient that he stood by his mailbox and looked inside literally every ten seconds, his frustration mounting each time he found that his item (was it a toy?) hadn't magically appeared. That's how Lincoln felt waiting for the rare Ace Savvy comic he ordered from . He clicked BUY on January 28, and the conformation email they sent him said it would be to him in two to three weeks. Today was February 10. Walking home from school, his hands in his pockets and his head bowed against the bitter wintery wind, Lincoln sighed against the excited pressure in his chest. Today _might_ be the day...the day he opened the mailbox and found a beautiful manila envelope with his name on it. He would pick it up, his eyes widening and his breath catching in his throat; he would hold it and look down at it the way a father might look down at his newborn; and then he would trace the outline of the comic within with trembling fingers.

He was so amped up by the time he reached the bottom of his driveway that he ran the last couple feet to the mailbox and ripped the door open, nearly taking it off its hinges. He glanced inside, and his heart shattered into a million pieces when he saw that it hadn't come. Bowing his head, he drew a sad sigh. Another day of waiting lie ahead of him, another day of rising hope that would ultimately be dashed against the rocks. He reached in, grabbed the stack of mail that _was_ there, and dragged his feet to the front door, absently looking through the day's haul. _Luan_ had something. _Luna_ had something. Must be nice.

At the very bottom of the stack was a small lime green envelope with the Hallmark logo on it. It was sealed with a heart-shaped sticker, and his name was written across the front in eloquent loops and swirls. His feet came to a shuffle stop, his brow lifting and his heart beginning to...well, not race...jog?

He peeled back the bottom of the heart sticker and took out a card with a cute cartoon bee on the front. WILL YOU BEE MINE? read the caption below. He opened it, and the inside was blank save for more pretty purple writing. _Will you be my Valentine?_ Below was a drawing of a heart.

A goofy grin spread across his face. He turned the card over in his hands, but didn't see a name anywhere.

"Who sent this?" he muttered to himself, still grinning. He looked up and glanced around, hoping against hope that he would see the sender standing behind a telephone pole or crouching behind a bush, but the windswept day was empty.

Someone liked him.

 _Him_. Lincoln Loud, the boy with white hair and buck-teeth. A faint heat spread across his face, and his heart really _was_ racing now.

Inside, he slapped the mail down onto the end table by the door and then went up to his room, where he laid on his bed and reread the card a dozen times, marveling at it. Someone _really_ liked him; you don't stick a card asking someone to _bee_ yours in a mailbox if you didn't. Sure, you were pretty much obliged to hand out little cards and lollipops to all your classmates on Valentine's Day, but you were _not_ obliged to do _this_ , and days before V-day at that.

You did it because you wanted to.

Because you _liked_ that person.

He couldn't get over it; someone actually liked him enough to put a card in his mailbox. He looked at it again, suddenly sad that there was no name attached. Who was it? Why didn't they write their name down? Were they shy?

Or – and his stomach tightened at this – were they playing a cruel joke on him, trying to get him to think someone liked him when they really didn't? He closed the card and put it aside. It wouldn't surprise him. Who would like a white-haired, buck-toothed dork anyway? He wasn't handsome, he wasn't charming...he wasn't even funny. He had absolutely nothing to offer.

He jumped when someone knocked on his door. "Come in!"

The door opened, and Lucy appeared, sitting on the edge of his bed. "I need your opinion." She held a notebook in her small white hands.

"Okay," Lincoln said. Anything to distract himself from the sudden rush of self-loathing. "Shoot."

Lucy bowed her head over the notebook, her black hair falling across the side of her face. She began to read:

"The dark, where I live, my heart, has nothing to give."

Lincoln nodded. "Okay. And?"

"Well...that's all I have right now."

"Alright," Lincoln said. "You want brutal honesty, right?"

"As always."

Lucy had been writing poems for a year and a half, and she had always sought _his_ opinion. He didn't know why. He knew nothing about poetry: The only thing he read were comic books, and, admittedly, those weren't exactly high literature brimming with meter and cadence and...syntax? He didn't even know. He _did_ know that Lucy appreciated total honesty, even if it stung.

"Your writing and, uh, rhyming are getting better. Much better, actually. It's really _dark_ though."

Lucy looked at him, her eyes hidden behind her bangs and her mouth a straight line. "So...I accomplished what I was going for?"

"Well, yeah, but..."

"Wicked. Thanks, Linc."

She got up and left the room, closing the door behind her. Alright, then. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat up with a yawn. His eyes fell on the card, and a ripple of uncertainty went through his stomach. It didn't make sense that someone would go to these lengths to try and make him feel bad. He wasn't the most popular, but no one _hated_ him. Right?

 _Who could it be?_

Not Ronnie Anne Santiago, that was for sure: The thought of her sappily writing _Will you be my Valentine?_ in a card with a cute cartoon bee on the front and sealing it in an envelope with a heart sticker brought a smile to his face...because it was so out of character. She had a heart, sure, but he'd sooner believe Mr. Grouse next door sent him the card than Ronnie Anne. Was it Cristina? She knew he liked her, so maybe she was coming around?

He doubted that. She thought he was a weirdo.

Who, then?

He didn't know, and it was already starting to bother him.

 _Guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens next._

Lovely. As if waiting for his comic wasn't enough, now he would have to wait for another card, or a letter, or...something (hopefully). He sighed. That old song is right: The waiting _is_ the hardest part.


	2. Lincoln in Loaf

Every morning, Lincoln walked to school with Lucy, Lynn, and Luan. Once upon a time, Lori drove them all in the van, but a recent spike in gas prices led their parents to ax all "non-essential" use of it. Lisa, Lola, and Lana rode the bus to Royal Woods Elementary, while Luna, Leni and Lori rode the bus to Royal Woods High. The middle school and elementary school were both within walking distance, the high school wasn't. Lisa, Lola, and Lana rode the bus because mom didn't trust them to walk, even with their older siblings. Lisa was currently at a science convention in Charleston, West Virginia, so today it was just Lana and Lola. The middle school was a mile and a half away from the Loud house. It wasn't exactly a Sunday stroll, but Lincoln didn't mind, since it was better than packing into an overcrowded bus.

As he walked, his hands stuffed into his pockets and his face numb with cold, Lincoln's thoughts turned back to the card and the as-yet-unknown identity of its sender. Would today bring a fresh communique? He desperately hoped that it would.

"Hey, Linc," Luan said and nudged him in the ribs, "wanna hear a joke?" Her eyes were narrowed mischievously and her ponytail swung from side-to-side with every step she took.

"Yeah, sure," he said distantly.

"Okay: A child asked his father 'How were people born?' So his father said, 'Adam and Eve made babies, then their babies became adults and made babies, and so on.' The child then went to his mother, asked her the same question, and she told him, 'We were monkeys then we evolved to become like we are now.' The child ran back to his father and said, 'You lied to me!' His father replied, 'No, your mom was talking about her side of the family.'"

She laughed, her hands flying to her stomach as though she were afraid her sides would split. Lincoln offered a weak smile.

"You okay, Linc?" she asked, sobering. "You seem kinda out of it."

"I just have a lot on my mind, that's all." He learned long ago not to let his sisters get involved with his business. When they did, things had a way of going to shit.

"Do you _mind_ me asking what it is?"

Lincoln groaned. While Lucy's writing was getting better, Luan's puns were getting _worse_. Of course, that was probably on purpose.

"Yes, I _do_ mind," he said a little more harshly than he meant. Luan winced, and he felt bad. "I'm sorry. I just don't want to talk about it."

"It's okay, I'm sorry I pushed." A gust of frigid wind blew over them, and she hugged her books tight to her chest with a shiver. "I miss riding to school," she chattered. Up ahead, Lynn and Lucy were arguing over something, Lynn gesturing wildly.

"Maybe you'd be warmer if you weren't wearing a skirt," Lincoln said. While she had a jacket on, its hood lined with fur, her legs were bare from the hem of her skirt to just below her knees, where her socks started...or ended, depending on how you looked at it.

"Pants are _way_ too constricting," she said. "I don't know how you can stand them."

Lincoln shrugged. "I'm warm, though."

"Don't rub it in," she said seriously.

At school, Lincoln put the books he didn't need into his locker and took out the ones that he did. The bell rang just as he was slamming the door, and he hurried to class. While Mrs. Johnson went through the laundry list of causes for the Civil War, Lincoln gazed out the window, his chin resting in his upturned palm. The ground was frozen, and patches of snow leftover from the storm two weeks ago dotted the athletic field. Who could it be? He looked around the room, his gaze resting on each girl. It had to be one of them, right? Or was it a girl from another class who pined from afar?

For some reason, he liked the thought of a girl pining for him.

But why didn't she come forward? It wasn't like he was some cool, good looking jock who was out of her league. He was a dork, a geek, a spaz. He'd be lucky if _any_ girl liked him.

What did she see in him?

He didn't know. Was it his snowy old man hair? His jagged front teeth? His ugly, splotchy freckles? Were there any blind girls in school? Or maybe she was cross-eyed and every time she looked at him she was actually looking at someone else and _thought_ it was him. He sighed and looked back out the window. A piece of trash blew across the field like a tumbleweed in an old western, going end over end over end in a ceaseless cycle.

 _That's me,_ he thought, _a tumbleweed blowing through life...directionless..._

He closed that thought out. He had a habit of being really down on himself when he was in a bad mood. Why was he even _in_ a bad mood? A girl liked him. He should be happy.

When the bell rang, he grabbed his things, got up, and went to his locker. He exchanged his books out then went to his next class, his eyes landing on every girl in the hall. _Is it you? Is it_ you? At lunch, while Clyde went on and on about his most recent session with Dr. Lopez, Lincoln looked around the cafeteria in a vain attempt to catch someone staring at him with big, dreamy eyes. He saw Lynn sitting with her friends, then, across the room, Luan sitting with hers. Everyone was focused on their food, their friends, or their phones (held out of sight in their laps). No one was looking at him. No one was even looking in his direction.

"I think I'm heading for a breakthrough," Clyde said, and took a sip of his milk.

"That's great," Lincoln said.

Clyde looked at him strangely. "Are you alright, dude? You've been acting kind of out of it today."

"Luan said the same thing this morning. Is it really that obvious?"

"Yeah, it's pretty obvious."

Lincoln sighed. His mother always said he wore his heart on his sleeve, and she wasn't wrong. At all. "Well...yesterday, I got a Valentine's Day card in the mail. I mean, it didn't actually _come_ in the mail because it didn't have a stamp or anything...someone stuck it in the mailbox."

Clyde's brows raised. "Oh, that's cool. What did it say?"

"It asked me to be their Valentine."

"Way to go, Linc," Clyde said happily. "You got yourself a crush."

Lincoln rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, but she didn't write her name and I can't figure out who it could be. I know it's not Ronnie Anne. She'd die before she'd do anything mushy like that."

"Hmmm," Clyde said, touching his chin with his forefinger. "I don't know. It could be _anyone_."

Lincoln looked nervously around the lunchroom again. "I know," he said. "It's really bothering me."

"Well...just relax. It sounds like this girl likes you, so you'll find out eventually. I bet there'll be another card in your mailbox when you get home."

"You think?" Lincoln asked, looking at his friend hopefully.

"Totally."

Lincoln hoped so.

For the rest of the day, that hope grew until he was bursting with it: He imagined that if it grew any more, it would shoot from his body in the form of a thousand shafts of glowing yellow light. When the final bell rang, he rushed out of class and fought his way through the hall, knocking other kids out of his way without so much as an apology.

Usually, he waited for Lynn and Luan, then, on their way past the elementary school, Lucy joined them. Today, he started immediately for home, moving as fast as his legs would carry him. Every time he had to stop at a crosswalk or to wait for a car to pull into or out of a driveway, he would shift impatiently from one foot to the other. _Come on, come on!_

He ran the last three blocks, at one point tripping over his big, dumb feet and going down on the sidewalk. He shot his hands out at the last minute, and his palms took the brunt of the damage. When he finally reached the mailbox, he stopped, took a deep breath ( _Please let there be a card, please let there be a card_ ), and pulled the little door open.

His eyes were instantly drawn to the red envelope sitting on top of a stack of shit he didn't care about. He reached in, snatched it out, and looked at it with a thundering heart. LINCOLN was written across the front in that beautiful hand, the 'I' dotted with a little heart. He sighed dreamily as he opened it and removed the card. On the cover, a smiling piece of bread blushed. Below it were the words: I LOAF YOU.

Lincoln giggled out loud and opened it. A message was written in purple pen: _To Lincoln Loud, the handsomest, smartest, and most caring boy I know. Will you be mine? Xoxoxo._

A cold wind needled him, but he didn't feel it, because he was warm all over, the pleasant heat radiating from his fluttering heart. He floated inside without even closing the mailbox, then drifted up the stairs. In his room, he flopped back onto his bed with a happy sigh and laced his fingers behind his head. "Everything is right with the world," he said. And it was.


	3. A Girl with a Crush

"Well, _some_ one's happy," Mom said when Lincoln came down for dinner. All of his sisters, who were already seated at the table, turned to look at him.

"Beat a video game?" Lynn asked with a roll of her eyes. She thought video games were lame.

"Nope," Lincoln said, slipping into his spot between Lucy and Luna. A plate of goulash sat before him; even _that_ couldn't sour his mood.

"Hear a good joke?" Luan asked.

"Nope," Lincoln said, picking up his fork.

"You bought knew shoes!" Leni said.

"Nope. I'm just happy." He dug in; when that first bite hit his tongue and the flavor filled his mouth, he didn't _look_ very happy. He choked it down anyway.

"Well, that's nice," Mom said, "it's good to see positivity every once in a while." She looked pointedly at Lucy.

"You can't be positive if you don't have a heart."

Mom sighed. "You _have_ a heart, Lucy. And you are very talented. You should put your mind to...happier subjects."

Lincoln was able to glean that Lucy wrote an especially dark poem in English class that day that the teacher deemed "unacceptable." Mom and Dad apparently agreed. "We believe in personal expression," Mom told Lucy, "but sometimes you take your...morbidity too far." Lincoln was vaguely interested in finding out just what this poem was about, but right now, he had more important matters to focus on, such as being happy over his secret admirer.

He wondered what she looked like. Was she tall? Short? Skinny? Did she have red hair? Blonde? What color were her eyes? What did it sound like when she laughed? Probably sweet and musical. Did she live in the neighborhood? How many times had he seen her and not noticed her looking at him, a dreamy light in her eyes? He wished he knew something more about her.

When he looked up from his plate, he saw Leni and Lori both looking at him strangely. "I've literally _never_ seen someone eat through a smile," Lori said. "I bet it's a girl..."

Everyone looked at him, and his cheeks flushed. "N-No, I'm just..."

"Oh, Lincy has a girlfriend!" Leni said, clenching her fists in excitement.

"Way to go, Linc!" Lynn slapped him on the back.

"Nice, bro," Luna said.

"Does she have a sense of humor?" Luan asked.

"No, honest, it's –"

"Is she pretty?" Lola asked.

"Does she like frogs?" Lana leaned across the table, her teeth bared in a smile.

"It's not a girl! Leave me alone!"

"Whatever you say, baby brother," Lori said with half-lidded eyes, and then winked at him.

Lincoln slid down in his chair. Great. Now all of his sisters were involved just like he didn't want them to be. He sighed as he imagined all the unwanted advice that was sure to come as soon as dinner was done.

Even so, he was happy, and nothing could change that.

When he was finished, he went upstairs and waited for the inevitable Coming of the Sisters. Not ten minutes later, his door burst open and they flooded his room, all talking at once.

"Spill the beans, Lincoln," Lori said, sitting on his bed and drawing her legs under her.

"Yeah, tell us about your _boo_ ," Luan said, holding up Mr. Coconuts the ventriloquist dummy, who was covered with a white sheet.

"Alright," he said, holding up his hands. They quieted down, watching him with expectant expressions. "I-I don't know who it is."

Leni touched her chin with her pointer finger.

Lori's brow furrowed. "Uh...okay."

Lincoln sighed. He grabbed the cards off the nightstand and handed them to Lori. "They were in the mailbox," he said. "One yesterday and one today."

His sisters crowded around Lori to read over her shoulder, sighing a collective "Awww" that made Lincoln blush. When she was done with the first card, she passed it to Luna, who read it then passed it on to Luan. "She dotted the 'I' in 'Lincoln' with a heart," Lori said without looking up from the second card. "She means business." That brought a smile to Lincoln's lips.

"It's about time some girl fell in love with Linc," Luan said, "he's awesome."

Everyone voiced their agreement, which made Lincoln uncomfortable. "No I'm not."

"Yes you are," Lynn said, "even if you can be a dork sometimes."

"You're _totes_ adorable," Leni said.

"You're also all of the things your girlfriend wrote in this card," Lori said, holding it up. Her expression was one of earnestness. "I'm happy for you, bro." She leaned over and handed it to him.

 _Girlfriend?_ Lincoln marveled at that thought, mentally tasting the word like fine wine. He'd never had a girlfriend before, and honestly, he didn't think he _ever_ would. "Thanks," he said.

"You should let me give you a makeover," Leni said. "So you can really wow her."

"No, no," Lori said, holding up a hand. "Obviously she likes Lincoln for who he is. Let's not ruin that."

"Oh," Leni said, bowing her head in disappointment. Lincoln felt bad for her. She loved giving makeovers.

"Just keep doing what you're doing, Linc," Lori said, getting up, "and we won't meddle this time. Promise."

After they were gone, Lincoln leaned back against his pillow and rested his hands on his stomach, his mind a whirl of thoughts, and his heart a tempest of emotions. His sisters thought he was awesome and smart and caring just like his admirer, and that made him happy. Though they drove him batshit crazy sometimes, he loved them, and knowing that they thought so highly of him made him feel good. Maybe he _did_ have something to offer this girl after all.

His thoughts turned back to her: The girl who liked him and pined for him. He really, really wanted to meet her. They could go out to a movie or to a restaurant (hell, why not both?) and get to know each other better. _That_ appealed to him very much: Just talking to her and learning who she was and what she liked and thought and held dear. He wanted to hear her thoughts and her beliefs and her voice...oh, he wanted to hear her voice very badly. He also wanted to look into her eyes. Were they blue? Green? Brown?

He sighed contentedly. He would find out soon enough, he supposed, but soon enough couldn't _come_ soon enough. He wished he had a way to contact her, to tell her how badly he wanted to meet her.

An idea occurred to him, and he got up, grabbed a piece of paper and a pen, and wrote down a little message. Tomorrow, on his way to school, he would tape it to the mailbox.

* * *

The next day passed at an insufferable crawl: Every time Lincoln looked at the clock, sure that a half an hour or more had passed, he saw that it had only been fifteen minutes since his last time check...if that. By the time lunch rolled around, he could barely sit still. By the time the final bell rang, he was jittery and had a headache.

He ran most of the way home, stopping only when the burning stitch in his side became too much and he had to catch his breath; standing there on the sidewalk, bent at the waist with his hands clasped to his knees, he wished he were more athletic like Lynn. He speed-walked the rest of the way. At the mailbox, he opened the door and grabbed the mail. Bills. Junk. A large manila envelope from . His heart clenched. No card? He went through the stack three times, then reached into the mailbox again.

She didn't leave him a card.

He sighed sadly. He should have known it was too good to last.

Feeling gutted, Lincoln shuffled into the house, left the mail (including the envelope from ) on the table, and dragged himself upstairs. In his room, he belly flopped onto his bed and drew a deep breath. She must have come to her senses and realized what a loser he was. He couldn't blame her. He _was_ a loser, no matter _what_ his sisters said; they were probably just trying to spare his feelings anyway.

He reached up to grab his pillow so he could cry into it, and his hand brushed something. With a furrowing brow, he looked up, and saw a pink envelope sitting in the middle of his pillow. His breath caught. Was that...?

Sitting up, he snatched the envelope up and looked at it. His name was written on it in a familiar purple flourish. The 'I' in his name was dotted with a heart, and little hearts and smiley faces surrounded it.

One of his sisters must have checked the mail, saw it, and brought it up. He felt a hot flush of anger (he almost cried!), but his joy was greater. He ripped the envelope open and pulled out the card. On the cover was a cartoon guitar with googly eyes. YOU ROCK MY WORLD was written underneath. Inside was the handwriting Lincoln had come to love, yes, love, again in purple pen: _Lincoln...you make my heart beat fast and my stomach feel like it has butterflies in it. You are_ _very_ _special to me. Sweet. Thoughtful. Handsome. Amazing. Awesome. And totally not a dork. Xoxoxoxo – A girl with a crush._

Lincoln was smiling ear-to-ear when he looked up from the card. A surge of emotions flooded him, and all he could do was let them run their course. He was so happy that he had completely forgotten about the message he had taped to the mailbox door: _I want to meet you_ followed by a heart and his name. Later, when he _did_ remember it, his breath caught in his throat. What would she say? Would she go for it? His heart rate sped up and he started to sweat; the prospect of actually _meeting_ her was somehow both terrible _and_ wonderful at the same time.

He hoped she would want to meet soon. He didn't know how much longer he could stand not holding her hand and looking into her eyes. He didn't care what she looked like, because she was beautiful where it counted, and that's all that mattered to him.

 _How'd I get so lucky?_ He asked himself that night as he drifted on the edge of sleep, his hands behind his head and the blanket pulled up to his chest. His eyes fluttered closed, and he slept with a smile at the corner of his lips.


	4. The Final Rose

**Thanks are in order to AberrantScript for his help in coming up with "cutesy" things a secret admirer would do, such as sending roses with...well, you'll find out. Thanks, AS.**

"How's it going with the girl?" Clyde asked the next day at lunch. Lincoln sat with his chin in his hand and a faraway expression on his face. The chattering din of a hundred kids all talking at once was lost on him; he might as well have been on another planet, a planet where a freckled, bucktoothed, white-haired dork like him could be fortunate enough to capture a girl's beautiful heart without even meaning to.

"Uh, Linc?"

He could hardly wait to get home and see what she thought about meeting him. The thought of ditching his last class so he could get home sooner crossed his mind, but that would be stupid, since she would probably still be in school and not hanging around his mailbox. Then again, he could take up a position in the front window and watch for her. That felt wrong, though. She would reveal herself when she was comfortable with the idea, and Lincoln intended to respect that.

"Earth to Lincoln." A hand waved in front of Lincoln's face, and he blinked.

"Yeah?" he asked, turning to his friend.

"I asked how it's going with the girl."

"Oh." Lincoln sighed. "It's going _wonderful_."

He told Clyde about the previous day's message. When he was done, Clyde whistled. "This girl is _serious,_ Lincoln. Three cute cards in a row. Did you hear that?"

Lincoln blinked. "No."

"Those are wedding bells, my friend."

Lincoln hid his smile behind his hand, his face growing red. "Shut up," he finally managed to say.

"I'm going to be your best man, right? Because I have my embarrassing speech all ready to go."

"It's a little early for that," Lincoln said, "I haven't even met her yet." He opened his milk, which had been sitting forgotten next to his tray (which he hadn't even _thought_ about touching) and took a long drink. "It might not even work out." He said this last part calmly enough, but inside, he cringed. Already he would give _anything_ to make it work.

"Maybe you have and you just don't know it yet."

"Then it doesn't count."

"Uh, I'm pretty sure it does."

"No," Lincoln said, "it doesn't, because I didn't know how she feels."

Clyde shrugged. "Alright. Whatever you say, Linc." He took a drink of his milk. "Did that comic come in yet?"

Lincoln looked at him. "Comic?"

"Yeah, the Ace Savvy comic you ordered. You know, the ultra-rare one where he dies on every page?"

Lincoln suddenly remembered. In the midst of the dark emotions after he didn't find a card in the mailbox yesterday, he put it on the end table by the door and completely forgot about it. Then, in the midst of the joy he felt when he found the card on his pillow, he completely forgot again. "Yeah, it came in yesterday, but I kind of...forgot about it."

Clyde's jaw dropped. He reached out and touched Lincoln's forehead. Lincoln swatted his hand away. "What are you doing?"

"Checking to see if you have a fever, because you've been waiting for that comic for weeks."

Lincoln shrugged. "I got sidetracked."

"Hm. I guess this girl isn't the _only_ one who's serious."

At the end of the day, Lincoln rushed home, arriving at the mailbox with a stitch in his side and fire in his lungs. He threw his arms around it and fought to catch his breath. Man, he had to stop doing this.

He opened the mailbox, but there was no card. He felt a rush of disappointment, but then figured one of his sisters might have brought it in the house again. He _really_ had to have a talk with them about messing with his cards. Wasn't mail tampering a federal crime? Inside, he slammed the front door and pounded up the stairs. He burst into his room with a hopeful expression on his face, but it fell when he saw nothing lying on his bed, and nothing on his nightstand either. He went over to the stack of cards by his alarm clock and flipped through them with shaky hands, but there was no new addition. Panic clutched his chest. She didn't send one! Maybe he scared her off by being too forward. He kicked himself for proposing they meet. Why did he have to ruin such a good thing?

Sighing, he trudged downstairs. Lori and Leni were sitting on the couch. They got home before everyone else since the high school let out earlier. Luna was probably up in her room, or in the kitchen getting a snack.

"Hi, Lincy!" Leni said when he came into the room.

"Hi," he said dejectedly.

"What's wrong?" Lori asked.

"Nothing," he lied, flopping down in-between them.

"It's not nothing," Lori said, her brows knitting. "What is it?"

Lincoln sighed. "I didn't get a card today."

"Oh," Lori said, her eyes softening. "Well...the day's still young. Maybe she's just running late."

"No," Lincoln said, "I think I blew it."

A puzzled expression crossed Lori's face. "How?"

"I left a note on the mailbox saying I wanted to meet her. I think that scared her off."

"Poor Lincy!" Leni cried, throwing her arms around him and drawing him into a hug. "You're _totes_ too hard on yourself. This girl _obviously_ likes you. Asking to meet her is _not_ going to scare her off. It –"

A knock at the door cut her off.

"I'll get it," Lincoln said heavily. He got up and crossed the living room. If he was lucky, it would be a hitman; a bullet sounded _really_ good about now.

He opened the door, and a man in blue overalls was standing there, a glass vase filled with red roses in one hand and a card in the other. "Lincoln Loud?" he asked.

"That's me!" Lincoln said, his spirits lifting.

"Here ya go," the man said, shoving the vase into his hands. "Don't forget your card." He slipped it in-between the fore-and-middle fingers of Lincoln's left hand.

"Thank you!"

Lincoln kicked the door closed with his foot. Leni and Lori were looking at him and smiling. "Wow, Linc," Lori said, "things are starting to get _really_ serious now."

"Thanks!" he blurted and carried his prize upstairs. In his room, he sat the vase on the nightstand, sat on the edge of the bed, and ripped open the envelope. This one had a number one on the front. It had eyes, dimples, and a smile, and was wearing gym shorts and a jersey. Appropriately enough, the caption was YOU'RE # 1.

He opened the card and read what was written inside: _Lincoln; my love for you will last as long as the final rose._

Lincoln blinked. He wasn't a botanist, but he was pretty sure roses didn't last very long. He bent over the vase, and noticed something: One of the roses looked slightly different from the others, its coloring a deeper red, its texture not as smooth. He reached out and touched it.

It was fake.

Fake roses last forever.

Below the rose comment, she added: _I want to meet you so badly it hurts, but I'm so scared you won't like me. Soon though. Very soon. Just let me down gently if you don't want me. Please?_

Lincoln's heart ached.

 _I won't reject you,_ he thought, and meant it. _You're beautiful...and I think I love you_.

He wished he could tell her this and assuage her fears. He wished he could take her hand in his, look deeply into her eyes, and make her understand how he felt. He imagined the warm smile that would cross her face, and the light that would touch her eyes, and his heart pounded faster.

At dinner, Lori looked at him with a smile in her eyes. "So...flowers, huh?"

Lincoln blushed and looked down at his plate. "Yes. And a card."

"She sent you flowers?" Lola asked. "How romantic!"

"Sounds like someone's in love," Mom said, and Lincoln blushed even harder.

"If she's sending flowers she must be," Dad said.

After dinner, Lincoln grabbed a quick shower, the hot water feeling good against his body. Wrapped in steam and shivering delightedly under the pounding spray, he thought of _her_. Wow...he realized that he didn't even know her name and yet he was already in love with her.

With a contented sigh, he got out, toweled off, and got dressed. In his room, he snapped the light on and froze when he saw it: A stuffed Teddy bear sitting in the middle of his bed along with a box of chocolates. On top of the chocolates was a slip of paper with purple handwriting. _Sweets for my sweet. Enjoy!_

He grinned. Taking the chocolates in his hands, he went downstairs. All of his sisters were gathered in the living room. "Who put this in my room?" he asked. "Did you see her? Was she here?"

Everyone looked at him strangely. "No one was here," Lori said.

Lincoln cocked his head. "So...who put this on my bed?"

"Not me," Luan said.

Luna shook her head. "Not me, bro."

"She's sending you chocolates now?" Lynn asked with a snicker. "Wow."

Lincoln was so thoroughly confused he could hardly think. "But...how did this get in my room?"

"Maybe she broke in," Lori said. "Which is kind of creepy when you think about it."

"Either that, or it's one of us," Luan quipped.

Lincoln laughed.

That was silly.


	5. Light of my Life

Lincoln Loud stood over the envelope on his floor, his heart pounding. It was early the next morning, February 13th, and he didn't notice it until he got up to go to the bathroom: It was by the door, like someone had slipped it underneath.

He swallowed, bent down, and picked it up. He ripped it open with trembling fingers and took out the card. It was red and covered with glittery hearts. Inside was a sappy love poem, but he skipped that in favor of what was written beneath in purple loops.

 _Lincoln, I want you to know how deeply I love you. You are the light of my life and the most important thing in the world to me. I'm terrified of losing you which is why I didn't tell you sooner, but I need your hand and your heart. Please don't let anything change your mind. Nothing matters but what I feel for you._

Lincoln read it and reread it, falling heavily onto the edge of his bed. He felt something bubbling up inside of him, starting in the pit of his stomach and rising through his chest. When it hit his brain, he recognized it for the realization that it was.

It _was_ one of his sisters. It _had_ to be. His mind flashed back to the other day when he found the card on his bed. What did it say? He grabbed it now and opened it:

 _Lincoln...you make my heart beat fast and my stomach feel like it has butterflies in it. You are_ _very_ _special to me. Sweet. Thoughtful. Handsome. Amazing. Awesome. And totally not a dork. Xoxoxoxo – A girl with a crush._

Something was fishy, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He wracked his brain, revelation dancing a mocking watusi just beyond his reach. _Sweet. Thoughtful. Handsome. Amazing. Awesome. And totally not a dork._

It hit him then.

The night before he got that card, his sisters gathered in his room and he told them about his crush.

" _It's about time someone fell in love with Lincoln,"_ Luan said, _"he's awesome."_

He said that he wasn't, and Lynn...what did she say? _"Yes you are, even if you can be a dork sometimes."_

Lincoln's heart came to a full stop.

 _Please don't let anything change your mind. Nothing matters but what I feel for you._

Nothing matters...like the fact they were siblings?

Lincoln licked his lips. It made sense. She talked (well...wrote) like she knew him...and knew him well. The only girl who knew him with any degree of profundity outside of his sisters was Ronnie Anne. Otherwise, there were none. How could a girl formulate such a strong impression of him ( _sweet, thoughtful, amazing_ ) without knowing him? And if it wasn't Ronnie Anne...

 _One of my sisters is in love with me_.

His first reaction was to cringe, but looking at the card in his hands, and thinking of the other ones on his nightstand, the love he felt in his chest did not abate, did not falter. He swallowed against a sandpaper throat and turned the card over in his hands; they were shaking. He envisioned each of his sisters in his mind one-by-one, starting with Lori and working his way down. Each one was beautiful, each one was unique, and he deeply loved each one. They were all special to him.

Brotherly love, however, is a far cry from romantic love. Could he heed the most recent note's plea and not let anything change his mind...or the way he felt?

He read the card again, admiring that beautiful purple handwriting, the cute heart dotting the 'I' in his name. He looked at the teddy bear sitting on his nightstand.

It was one of his sisters...but God help him, he didn't care. She was beautiful, perfect, and he loved her.

In the hall, he waited in line for the bathroom behind Luna and Luan. When he walked up, Luan looked over her shoulder and grunted her morning greeting: Her eyes were bloodshot and strands of hair had fallen out of her ponytail. She looked like a zombie. Unlike Lincoln, she was _not_ a morning person.

Was it her?

The first two cards were pun-based. _Bee mine. I loaf you_. Those were _definitely_ the types of cards that would jump out at her. Then again, there was the _you rock my world_ card. Maybe it was Luna. Oh...what about the _you're # 1_ card? Lynn, perhaps?

He didn't know.

All that day, he wracked his brain for further clues, but couldn't come up with any. So far, there were three prime suspects, and they were only _prime_ suspects because of the cards.

After lunch, he went to his locker to pick up a few books. As he approached, he spotted something taped to the door. Another envelope. His name was on it.

He opened it. The card was simple. Red with a big pink heart. Inside, she wrote: _Tomorrow is Valentine's...the perfect day for us to meet...I'm so nervous, Lincoln. You are my light...you hold my heart in your hands._

Lincoln gulped.

She held his in _hers._

 _So it's Luan or Lynn,_ he thought later, as he sat in class. It would have to be, since they were the only ones who went to school with him. There was no way Lori, Leni, or Luna could have done it. The high school was miles away, and there wouldn't be enough time for them to leave, come here, drop the card, and then get back.

For the first time in days, he waited for them after the final bell. When they walked up and saw him, he scanned their faces for any reaction that might give them away. Maybe he was just dense, but he saw only two girls seeing their brother. "Hey, Linc!" Luan said. "Lin-coln!" Lynn said, and punched the shit out of his arm.

"Hey, guys," he said, rubbing the spot Lynn virtually destroyed. "How's it going?"

"I hate math," Luan said. They were walking now. "I'm pretty sure I flunked that test."

"I _aced_ my history test," Lynn said happily. She made a fist and shoved it into the air. "I _rock_."

"You're a show-off," Luan said. "How are _you_ doing, Linc?"

"Good," he said with a dreamy smile. "Really good."

"That's awesome," she replied, and leaned into him, knocking him off balance. "I'm happy for you."

"So am I," Lynn said, wrapping her arm around Lincoln's neck and drawing him into a nugie. He cried out. "Our little Lincy's growing up. Got himself a _giiiiiiirlfriend_."

Lincoln pulled away and started to say _no I don't,_ but that was a lie. He _did_. "She's great," he said instead.

"How do you know?" Luan asked. "You haven't even met her yet."

"I can tell," Lincoln replied.

"Oh?" Lynn said. "What if she's really fat?"

"I don't care," Lincoln said. He doubted she was, but if he was wrong about it being one of his sisters and she _was_ really fat, so be it. He would love her just the same.

"What if she's not funny?" Luan asked.

"I don't care."

"What if she's an old lady?" Lynn asked.

"Don't care."

"What if she's a man?" Luan asked.

Okay, _that_ made Lincoln pause. "I would probably care about that," he said, nodding.

At home, he went upstairs, and found something on his bed.

The Ace Savvy comic that had been so important just a few days ago, but now meant very little. _Someone_ had taken it out of its packaging. He sat, picked it up, and opened it, flipping through the pages. Every so often there was a yellow sticky note with purple writing on it. "You're my superhero," "we'd make a great team," "will you be my partner in fighting crime...and everything else?" Lincoln smiled. 

Only after he'd read every one several times, basking in them the way a cat might bask in a warm bar of sunshine lying across the floor, did it occur to him that it _couldn't_ be Luan or Lynn. They all walked through the front door together.

Lori, Leni, and Luna were already home.

Lincoln was totally, completely, and utterly _baffled_.


	6. Valentine's Day

Lincoln struggled to sleep that night. In just a few short hours, his love would reveal herself. He was excited, nervous, scared, and happy all at the same time...not a mixture conductive to falling into a peaceful slumber. He imagined a thousand different ways their first meeting could go, all of them sweet, magical, and heartwarming. He pictured each one of his sisters being the mystery woman, and no matter who it was, he was happy.

He finally fell off just before 3am, but woke up every hour thereafter. At 6, he stayed up, reading his new comic by soft lamplight. He grinned every time he came to one of the post-it notes, and touched them, feeling close to his secret admirer.

At 7, he got up to go to the bathroom, and when he opened his door, he found another teddy bear looking up at him, balloons tied to either one of its stubby arms. One had a big heart on it, and the other said HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY. He laughed as he picked the bear up and turned it over in his hands. There was a button on its left paw, and when Lincoln pushed it, it started to sing. He looked down the hall to see if he could detect a pair of eyes watching to see how he liked his gift, but he could not.

Setting the bear on his bed, he went to the bathroom, then came back to find a new card lying next to the bear. He looked around, a crooked grin on his face. Gee, what was she, a ghost? The Flash? Maybe it was Lucy. She was the only person he knew who could materialize and then dematerialize like _that_.

He sank onto the edge of the bed and picked up the card. It was pink and dotted with red hearts. Inside, the love of his life wrote: _I can't wait until later, Lincoln. I'm scared, and nervous, and happy...I just hope I managed to win you over. Love L.L."_

 _There it is,_ he thought, his lips spreading into a big smile. It was perfect, wasn't it? Whoever it was, they already shared a special bond, a strong and lasting love, a connection that he shared with no one else. What better foundation to build on?

He put the card with the others, and sat the bears side-by-side on his bed. They looked so happy together. _Her and I will look like that later,_ he thought, then got dressed.

* * *

Lincoln walked to school with his older sisters, a shoebox filled with cards and candies in his hands. Valentine's Day had never been one of Lincoln's favorite...did it count as a holiday? Let's call it one anyway...mainly because it was centered around love, and he'd never known love, but also because...come on, the candy stank. Heart-shaped lollipops, chalky 'be mine' candies...yuck. Starting now, however, Lincoln suspected that Valentine's Day would be the best day of the year for him...better even than Christmas.

"Are you finally going to meet your girlfriend?" Luan asked. "It would be kind of bad if Valentine's Day came and went and you didn't."

"We're going to meet later," Lincoln said.

"Oooo," Lynn said. "Where?"

Lincoln shrugged. "I don't know. It's all up to her."

"So...you don't even know when or where you're going to meet her?" Luan asked, her head cocked and one eye closed. "That's kind of strange."

"I like surprises," Lincoln said with a half grin. "It makes things more exciting."

"Can't argue with that," Luan said.

At school, love was in the air...or maybe it was over processed, over commercialized faux love. It was easy to get the two confused. Paper decorations hung in the hall, pink and red hearts, chubby cupids, crepe streamers, posters. More decorations were taped to the windows of classroom doors.

"Hey, Linc," Clyde said, appearing from a crowd of kids, "how's it going?"

"It's going _great_ ," Lincoln said. What would he tell Clyde? What would he tell his _parents?_ None of them could know who she really was, which meant he'd have to lie. Maybe she goes to another school? Sure. Yeah, you guys wouldn't know her. Her name? Uhhhh...Mabel?

In class, Lincoln stored the shoebox under his seat and tried to ignore the nerves gnawing the pit of his stomach. He'd been so caught up in his little whirlwind romance lately that schoolwork went right out the window: Two nights in a row he'd totally forgotten he had homework until he was already in bed. Focus, Loud. Thinking about it won't make it happen any sooner.

Easier said than done: How could you think about anything else when in just a few hours you were going to meet the most beautiful girl in the world and take her hand? The thought made him warm and fuzzy inside. He could see them now, standing face-to-face in a beam of sunshine, a chorus of angels singing from above; their fingers intertwined, their eyes locked together, their hearts beating in the same unsteady rhythm.

He could hardly wait.

Why couldn't time go faster? He didn't care about the Civil War, or fractions, or any of that other crap. The only thing that mattered in this world was his sister – which ever one it was – her of the purple pen and the beautiful soul, the one girl in the whole wide world who loved him so much that she was able to look past not only his dorkitude and his goofy face but also the taboo fact that they were _siblings._ It struck him then just how _strong_ a love that must be, how deep and burning and _pure_ , and his own love grew. She loved him for who he was, even though it was "wrong," and even though he wasn't much to love. If he held her heart in his hands, he vowed then to never bruise it, to never hurt it, and to never let it go.

At lunch, Clyde asked, "Are you and your crush going to meet up today?"

"Yes we are," Lincoln said happily. He picked up his roll and took a bite.

"I'm happy for you, buddy," Clyde replied. "It sounds like she really likes you. Be good to her."

"Oh, I will," Lincoln said, and meant it. He would always be good to her, because she deserved nothing less than his absolute best. Hell, she deserved a lot more than he could give her, but for some reason she loved _him_ instead of somebody else, so he would be his best, and he would be _better_ than his best.

"So...did you finally read that Ace Savvy comic or what?"

"Yeah, actually, I did."

Clyde grinned. "Was it good?"

Thinking of the sticky notes, Lincoln nodded. "It was _amazing_."

"He really died on every page?"

"Yup," Lincoln said. He didn't know whose idea it was to have the best hero in the world expire on every single page of a whole comic, but it was pretty funny, because the thought of Ace Savvy losing – much less dying – was so ludicrous.

"Do you mind if I borrow it?"

Lincoln shrugged. "No. I'll bring it tomorrow...if I don't forget."

"No rush," Clyde said, holding up his hands. "As long as I get to read it at some point I'll be happy."

After lunch, the class exchanged their Valentine's Day cards. Each child sat a decorated cardboard box on their desk, then went around and dropped a card and or candy into all the others. Lincoln grabbed his shoebox and opened it. The cards Mom bought were simple, roughly six-by-six boasting a cartoon heart and TO and FROM lines. A piece of heart-shaped candy was attached to each.

Lincoln zig-zagged through the rows of desks and dropped a card into every box. There were 25 other kids in his class, and there were exactly 25 cards in the box. When he was done, he went back to his own desk and checked his box. Cards much like the ones he'd handed out, boxes of those godawful 'be mine' candies, red lollipops. Where did the custom of giving out shit candy on Valentine's Day come from anyway? Why didn't they give out Hershey's kisses or something?

Oh well. He'd eat the candy anyway. It wasn't like he got sweets all that often...when you have ten sisters, treats are a hard thing to come by.

* * *

Lincoln arrived home at 3:30, his stomach in knots and his chest tight. Moment of truth, he told himself. At some point this afternoon or evening, L.L. would come to him. How, when, or where, he didn't know. Sooner rather than later, hopefully, though knowing his luck he'd have to wait until the last possible minute.

Luna and Lori were sitting on the couch when he came through the door. Lori looked up at him and grinned. "So...did you meet your girlfriend?"

"Not yet," Lincoln said, closing the door and slipping his backpack off.

"Oh?" Luna asked. "She's gonna leave you hanging?"

"No," Lincoln said. "I'll see her later."

Upstairs, he dropped his backpack by the door and stretched out on the bed. For the moment, a veil of tranquility hung over the house. Shortly, his other sisters would be home, and a typically chaotic afternoon would follow.

This happened sooner than he expected when the door burst open and Lynn bounced in; she jumped into the air and landed butt-first on the edge of his bed, the motion almost throwing him off. "What's she like?" she asked.

"I don't know, I haven't met her yet," he said. "And haven't you ever heard of knocking?"

His heart clutched suddenly. Was it Lynn?

"I'm your sister, I don't have to knock. And you haven't met her yet? Why?"

"She hasn't decided the time is right."

Lynn's brow furrowed. "Oh. Well, she better get a move on, the day's almost over."

Lincoln threaded his fingers across his chest. "Oh, I have a feeling that won't be a problem."

Lifting her brows, Lynn scrunched her lips, then shrugged. "Whatever. Make sure she knows you have a sister who'll kick her ass if she doesn't treat you good." She jumped up and started out, stopping at the door and glancing over her shoulder. "That's _me_ , by the way."

She left, and Lincoln was just starting to relax again when Luan came in. "Linc! Did you...?"

"Not yet," Lincoln said.

"Oh. Well...when?"

"When she's ready."

She shrugged. "Alright. Hope it's soon. The suspense is killing me."

"You and me both."

Later, at dinner, Leni looked at him and started, "Lincy, did...?"

"Not yet," Lincoln said.

"Oh," she said, looking confused. It was almost 7 and dark. "There's always tomorrow."

"Keep your chin up, son," Dad said.

"I will," Lincoln smiled.

After dinner, he took his shower, then went into his room, deciding to play video games until she came to him. He was just loading Steal That Car 3 when Lori poked her head in the door. "Hey, bro, can you come to my room for a minute?"

A ripple ran through Lincoln's stomach. It was Lori?

"O-Okay," he said, laying his controller aside. He got up and followed her down the hall, his heart rate increasing with every step he took. His throat was dry, his stomach knotting. When Lori opened the door, he was surprised to see all of his sisters gathered together.

" _SURPRISE!"_

A smile touched Lincoln's lips. "What's this?" he asked, his hand still on the doorknob.

"Well," Lori said, turning, "we figured since it's Valentine's Day and we all love you _so_ much, we'd show you our appreciation."

"Me first!" Lola said, elbowing her way through her older sisters. She was holding a card. "Here you go, Lincoln," she said, handing it to him and pecking him on the cheek. "Love you."

He looked down at the card. It had a picture of a teddy bear on it and said TO THE BEST BROTHER EVER. Inside, she had written _To Lincoln, I am glad you are my big brother_.

"I signed it, too," Lana said, shoving Lola out of the way.

Lincoln felt tears welling in his eyes, but blinked them back. "Thank you," he said, and they hugged.

"You really are the best, Linc," Lana said.

Behind her, his other sisters fell in line, each one holding their own card, except for Lori, who held a box with a bow on it.

"I don't say this very often," Lisa said, coming forward, "but I love you and appreciate everything you do." She handed him a card.

"Thank you," he said, taking his little sister in his arms. "I love you too."

Next, Lucy stepped forward. "I don't do bright colors," she said, handing Lincoln a homemade card. On its cover was a big black heart. TO A WICKED BROTHER was written underneath, and he couldn't help but smile.

"Thank you for helping me with my poems," she whispered into his ear as she hugged him.

"Thank you for letting me help you with them," he said, rubbing her back.

After Lucy, Lynn came up, looking slightly uncomfortable, her eyes not quite meeting his. "I'm not good at mushy stuff," she said, rubbing her arm, "but I love ya, bro. And I appreciate you always being there for me."

"I love you too," Lincoln said, and punched her in the arm.

"Ow!" She grinned. "Nice shot."

"I learned from the best."

"Take your card before I change my mind and hit you back."

After her turn, Lynn went over and sat on Lori's bed with Lisa, Lana, Lola, and Lucy.

Like a bullet falling into a chamber after the previous one has been spent, Luan stepped forward, beaming. "There's only one person in this family who gets my sense of humor...besides dad." She handed him a card. "And that's you." She swept him into a hug and squeezed him so tight he thought his eyeballs were going to pop out of their sockets. "You mean everything to me, Linc."

"Thanks," he said when she let him go. "You mean everything to me too."

She skipped over to Lori's bed and sat next to Lynn.

"You're a rockin' bro, you know that?" Luna asked, handing him her card.

"I try to be," Lincoln said.

"You're doing a pretty good job," she put her hand on his shoulder, then pulled him into a hug. "I love you."

"I love you too."

She kissed him on the forehead, then went over to Lori's bed.

Speaking of Lori, she was next, a light dancing in her eyes. "I made sure to get your favorite," she said, handing him the box. Hersey's Pot of Gold? Alright! There was a card attached. He opened it. _You're the best little brother a girl could have._

"Thank you," he said, and hugged her.

"I mean it," Lori said, holding him tight, "you're the best."

She mussed his hair then went over to her bed.

Leni was last, her head slightly bowed and her cheeks red. She came forward and handed him her card. "It isn't much," she said.

Lincoln opened it.

 _I love you with all my heart_ was written in purple loops.

The breath left Lincoln's lungs in a rush. He looked up; Leni's gaze was downcast, her knees pressed together. "You?" he asked.

She nodded sheepishly. "Well...I had some help."

"I picked out the first two cards!" Luan said, raising her hand. "I figured you'd like them."

"I picked the third one," Luna said.

Lincoln smiled. "Let me guess, Lynn picked out the one that said 'you're # 1'?"

"That obvious?" she asked.

Lincoln looked back at Leni. She took a deep breath and looked at him. He'd never noticed how big and pretty her eyes were, how innocent and loving. "I love you, Lincoln, and I have for a long time. I-I didn't want to say anything because I was afraid you'd think I was gross."

"Then she came to me," Lori said, "and I told her to go for it."

Lincoln opened his mouth to speak, but his throbbing heart had somehow become lodged in his throat.

"I'll understand if you do think I'm gross," she said.

Bending, Lincoln sat his cards and chocolate on the floor and then stood. Leni looked into his eyes, desperately searching them. He smiled and took her hands in his. "Leni...I don't think you're gross. I think you're beautiful. Inside _and_ out. And I want..." he faltered. "I want to be with you."

"Really?" she asked, her eyes brightening.

"I love you," he said.

With an ear-piercing _squee_ , Leni took him in her arms and squeezed him to her breasts. He laughed and hugged her back; their hearts beat wildly against one another.

She pulled back and threaded her fingers through his, the most beautiful smile on her face. "You are my world, Lincy."

"And you're mine."

They kissed, and everyone "awwwwed." Even Lynn, who had _something_ in her eye...

 **AberrantScript (and others)...you were right. It was Leni all along. I fully intend to write a sequel focusing on Lincoln and Leni as a couple as this story does not touch on that, nor was it meant to. Meanwhile, I am working on a sequel to the beloved (lol) Flagg1991 classic "Falling in the Forest." It is called "Finding the Time" and in it, Lincoln and Lynn just can't seem to find any "alone" time. Hope to see you there.**


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